AGAMBEN’S CRITIQUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Abstract

Since humanity has experienced different kinds of problems in a time of global wars, the Cold War and the post-Cold War era, the concept of human rights has provided a conceptual framework to discuss these problems and injustices, ranging from refugee crises to global poverty. However, human rights discourse has been criticised by some scholars due to its perceived use in the justification of imperialist interventions, as well as its having become a major tool for the biopolitical operation of power. In this context, Giorgio Agamben presents a strong critique of human rights, stating that human rights consolidate sovereignty by producing ‘bare lives’ that are becoming vulnerable to sovereign violence. In this article, we will analyse Agamben’s criticism of human rights through his basic arguments and concepts.